Apparatus and process for mixing rubber compounds

Abstract

A process of manufacturing a rubber compound is disclosed. The process comprises providing a multiple shaft extruder device; feeding the multiple shaft extruder device with at least one polymer raw material or with a mixture of at least two different polymer raw materials; feeding the multiple shaft extruder device with at least one further raw material; mixing the at least one polymer raw material or the mixture of the different polymer raw materials and the at least one further raw material in the multiple shaft extruder device to prepare a rubber compound; and extruding the rubber compound from the multiple shaft extruder device. A plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices may be used in parallel or in sequence.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A process of manufacturing a rubber compound, the process comprising:
 providing a multiple shaft extruder device;   feeding the multiple shaft extruder device with at least one polymer raw material or with a mixture of at least two different polymer raw materials;   feeding the multiple shaft extruder device with at least one further raw material;   mixing the at least one polymer raw material or the mixture of the different polymer raw materials and the at least one further raw material in the multiple shaft extruder device to prepare a rubber compound; and   extruding the rubber compound from the multiple shaft extruder device.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the multiple shaft extruder device is a ring extruder device comprising at least six parallel screws, alternatively at least 8 or at least parallel 12 screws, jointly turning clockwise or counterclockwise in the same or different directions. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the polymer raw material is a liquid polymer raw material, a mixture of liquid polymer raw materials, a polymer raw material in the shape of pellets or granules, a mixture of granules or pellets of at least two different polymer raw materials, a polymer raw material in the shape of a powder, a mixture of at least two different polymer raw material powders, a masterbatch of a polymer raw material derived from in-situ polymerization, a recycled polymer raw material, a reclaimed polymer raw material, or a depolymerized polymer raw material. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the at least one further raw material is selected from the group consisting of a filler material such as rubber reinforcing carbon black, silica or a platy filler such as clay; a coupling agent; a tackifier resin; a processing aid; an antioxidant; an antiozonant; a stearic acid; an activator; a wax; an oil; a vulcanizing agent such as a sulfur vulcanizing agent; a peptizing agent; and of a mixture of one or more of these materials. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of different polymer raw materials are fed into the multiple shaft extruder device. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the at least one further raw material is a further polymer raw material or a mixture of at least two further different polymer raw materials. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the multiple shaft extruder device is fed only with the at least one polymer raw material or with the mixture of different polymer raw materials and with one or more further raw materials but exclusive of pre-mixed rubber compounds. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the multiple shaft extruder device comprises an outlet at the end of the multiple shaft extruder device and a plurality of inlets along the shaft of the multiple shaft extruder device including a first inlet being the inlet which is most distant from the outlet, wherein the inlets of the plurality of inlets are located at different respective distances with respect to the outlet, and wherein the at least one polymer raw material or the mixture of at least two different polymer raw materials and the at least one further raw material are fed into the multiple shaft extruder device through the plurality of inlets. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 8  wherein the least one polymer raw material or the mixture of at least two different polymer raw materials is fed into the multiple shaft extruder device through the first inlet and wherein the further raw materials are fed into the multiple shaft extruder device through the further inlets of the plurality of inlets. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the process comprises only a single mixing step for preparing the rubber compound or wherein the process comprises only a single mixing step followed by a gear pump extrusion step for preparing the rubber compound. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the extruded rubber compound is in the form of a pelletized or granulated rubber compound. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising:
 feeding the extruded rubber compound into a second multiple shaft extruder device; 
 mixing the extruded rubber compound and at least one further material in the second multiple shaft extruder device to prepare a second rubber compound; and 
 extruding the second rubber compound from the second multiple shaft extruder device. 
 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12  wherein the second multiple shaft extruder device is fed with one or more further materials selected from the group consisting of a filler material such as rubber reinforcing carbon black, silica or a platy filler such as clay; a coupling agent; a tackifier resin; a processing aid; an antioxidant; an antiozonant; a stearic acid; an activator; a wax; an oil; a vulcanizing agent such as a sulfur vulcanizing agent; a peptizing agent; and of a mixture of one or more of these materials. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 12  wherein the second multiple shaft extruder device is fed with one or more further materials selected from the group consisting of polymer raw material, a mixture of at least two different polymer raw materials, or a rubber compound. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 12  further comprising:
 feeding the extruded second rubber compound into a third multiple shaft extruder device; 
 mixing the extruded second rubber compound and at least one further material in the third multiple shaft extruder device to prepare a third rubber compound; and 
 extruding the third rubber compound from the third multiple shaft extruder device. 
 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15  wherein the third multiple shaft extruder device is fed with one or more further materials selected from the group consisting of a filler material such as rubber reinforcing carbon black, silica or a platy filler such as clay; a coupling agent; a tackifier resin; a processing aid; an antioxidant; an antiozonant; a stearic acid; an activator; a wax; an oil; a vulcanizing agent such as a sulfur vulcanizing agent; a peptizing agent; and of a mixture of one or more of these materials. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 15  wherein the third multiple shaft extruder device is fed with one or more further materials selected from the group consisting of polymer raw material, a mixture of at least two different polymer raw materials, or a rubber compound. 
     
     
         18 . A process of manufacturing a rubber compound, the process comprising:
 providing a plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices;   feeding at least one of the multiple shaft extruder devices with at least one polymer raw material or a mixture of different polymer raw materials;   feeding each of the multiple shaft extruder devices with at least one material;   operating the plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices in parallel and mixing in each of the multiple shaft extruder devices a respective rubber compound; and   extruding the respective rubber compounds from each of the multiple shaft extruder devices.   
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18  further comprising mixing the respective rubber compounds extruded from each of the multiple shaft extruder devices in a subsequent mixing device such as subsequent multiple shaft extruder device, or feeding the respective rubber compounds extruded from each of the multiple shaft to a common gear pump device. 
     
     
         20 . A process of manufacturing a rubber compound, the process comprising:
 providing a plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices;   operating the plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices sequentially;   feeding a first of the plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices with at least one polymer raw material or a mixture of different polymer raw materials;   feeding the first multiple shaft extruder devices with at least one further raw material;   mixing in the first multiple shaft extruder devices the at least one polymer raw material or the respective mixture of the different polymer raw materials and the at least one further raw material to prepare in the first multiple shaft extruder device a rubber compound;   extruding the rubber compound from the first multiple shaft extruder device;   feeding the rubber compound into a second multiple shaft extruder device of the plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices.